Valve structure



Oct. 27, 1936. E. A. SEYMOUR VALVE STRUCTURE Filed June l0, 1935 ATTORA'EVS.

Patented ct. 27, 1936 PATENT oFElcE y VALVE STRUCTURE v Edward A.Seymour, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application June" 10,

4 Claims.

TheV present invention relates to valve structures, particularly such asare employed to control iiuid pressure in the pneumatic dual tires ofautomobiles and the like; and its object is,

generally, to provide a structure of this character improved in respectshereinafter appearing; and more particularly, to providein such astructure means for utilizing iluid pressure in the tires for securelyseating a valve which controls such pressure therein; and further, toprovide in such a structure a pair of chambers separated by such a mainvalve and having a bypass provided with a secondary valve operable bythe .seating movement of the main valve; and further, to provide in sucha structure an improved dlaphragm valve for controlling fluid pressure.

These and any other and more speci'c objects hereinafter appearing areattained by,.and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, theillustrative valve structure particularly described in the body of thisspecification and illustrated bythe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view of a portion of the circumferential part of anautomobile wheel on which dual pneumatic tires are mounted, showing myvalve structure applied thereto, certain parts being sectioned on aradial plane corresponding to line I-l of Figure l;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal central sectional view (enlarged) of thevalve structure taken on said plane and showing the parts in the normaloperation of the automobile;

Figure 3 is a like view of a portion thereof, but showing the parts inanother position;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional View of portions of the same taken online t-t of Figure 1.

In the drawing is illustrated my valve structure designated generally Iapplied to the felloe or rim 2 of an automobile wheel as by threadedbolts 3 extending through the ange El of said structure. Pneumatic dualtires 5, Ii are mounted side by side on this felloe as by cllncherdevices l, t and are inflated by a pump applied to the valve 9 ofordinary form, and forcing air through the tube Ill and thecommunicating passage I I of said structure into its valve chamber I2and thence through the structures passages I3, I4 and theircommunicating tubes I5, I6, into the tires 5, 6 respectively. Thepressure thus created in the chamber I2 moves the diaphragm valve I1from seating position to its open position shown in Figure 2, againstthe pressure of the coiled spring I8, so that uniform air pressurebetween the two tires and through said chamber is maintained during thenormaloperation of the 1935, semi No. 25.803

automobile. Air in the structures chamber I9, on the opposite side ofthe diaphragm valve from the chamber I2, is during said normal operationnraintainedat approximately atmospheric pressure by means of the opening20 through the wall 2| of chamber I9.

In case one of the tires, say tire 5, suffers a puncture or a blow out,the air passing outwardly therefrom immediately lessens the air pressurein chamber I2, so that the spring I8 may expand and move the diaphragmvalve toward its closed position shown in Figure 3, wherein it ispressed by said spring on the wall 52 of chamber I2 to cover the passageI3 leading from the injured tire 5 (and also the passages I I, I4) andthus seal the chamber I2 so that the automobile may continue travelingon the uninjured tire 6.

In case of a blow out or other 'comparatively great injury to a. tire(as the tire 5), the pressure in chamber I2 decreases so rapidly thatthe spring I8 closes the diaphragm valve suddenly; but if such injury iscomparatively slight thus causing. a slow leak in tire 5, the pressurein chamber I2 diminishes slowly, during which time the air passes out ofthe chamber I 2 correspondingly slowly. In order to close the diaphragmvalve more rapidly and hold it closed more completely, I provide abypass 22 between the chambers I2 and` I 9 and the following operatingmechanlsm. This bypass is valved, having a valve stem 23 carrying inspaced relation the valve 24 seating on the seat 25 and the valve 26which is normally pressed on its seat 21 by pressure in chamber I2; butwhen one of the tires (as tire 5) suffers an injury or develops a leakreducing the l pressure in chamber I2 to such an extent that the springI8 expands sufficiently the laterally extending arm 28, of the rod 29carried by the head 30 which contacts the inner side of the diaphragmvalve, engages the inner end 3l oi valve stem 23 and moves it far enoughto unseat valve 26, so that the pressure in chamber I2 is communicatedto chamber I9, thus tending to balance the pressure in these twochambers and assisting the spring I8 in closing the diaphragm valve Ilto maintain air pressure in the uninjured tire 6.

When valve 25 is thus unseated to admit pressure into chamber I 9, theopening 20 through the wall of this chamber is closed to confinepressure therein, by the following means:

Said opening has a normally open valve 32 urged to seating position by aspring 33. In the `normal operation of the automobile this valve is lililil held open, to create atmospheric pressure in chamber I0, by the pinu extending inwardly from said head 3l.. said pin engaging the arm il oia bell crank lever Il iulcrumed at 31 and holding said lever in theposition shown in Figure 2 wherein its arm il engages at 3l the stem 4Iof valve I! and holds it open; but when the diaphragm valve moves towardclosed position and on opening valve 28 as above described, the pin ureleases said lever so that valve il closes as shown in Figure 3 toconnne pressure in chamber II for assisting spring Il in seating thediaphragm valve.

'I'he valve structure includes a casing comprising a hollow cylindricalpart 4| with the head 42 (having the flange 4) threaded thereinto, andthe cap 43 threaded on its opposite end. A ring 44 threaded into saidbody clamps the diaphragm valve I1 in place and a Vpacking ring 4l 'isclamped in place by the head l2. The diaphragm valve is supported in itsmiddle and moved to seating position by the nat-dome shaped head IUhaving the central shank slidable in a bearing 41 in the center of aspider 48 threaded at 49 in the interior of said body and turnable toadjust the tension of the spring Il which presses between it and thehead III. The arm 2l is desirably springable and is held in adjustedposition on the rod 20 by a set screw 50. A weak spring 5I urges thevalve 26 to seated position.

When the diaphragm valve seats the spring arm 28 yieldingly seats thevalve 24. so that the chamber I8 retains the pressure therein.

The invention being intended to be pointed out in the claims, is not tobe limited to or by details of construction and arrangement of theparticular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawing orhereinbefore'described.

I claim:

1. In a valve structure for controlling fluid pressure in dual pneumatictires: a body having a pair of chambers, one o1' the chambers having aninlet for iluid under pressure and fluid passages communicating with thetires respectively: a diaphragm separating the chambers spring pressedto a position closing the inlet and the passages and movable oppositelyby uid pressure in said chamber; a fluid bypass connecting the chambers;a normally closed4 valve in the bypass; means in the other chambermechanically operable in connection with the movement o! the diaphragmtowards its said position for opening the valve.

2. In a valve structure: a body having a pair of chambers, one o! thechambers having separate iluid passages; a movable partition wallseparating the chambers spring pressed in one direction to a positionclosing said passages and movable in the opposite direction by iluldpressure in said chamber; a iluid bypass connecting the chambers; anormally closed valve in the bypass; mechanical means operable by themovement oi the wall in the first-mentioned direction for positivelyopening the bypass valve.

3. In a valve structure having a pair of chambers, one oi the chambershaving an inlet for iluid under pressure and an outlet therefor, theother chamber having an opening to atmosphere: a diaphragm locatedbetween the chambers spring pressed to position closing said inlet andoutlet; a nuid bypass connecting the chambers; a normally closed valvefor the bypass; means operable in connection with the movement of' thediaphragm toward its said position for opening the bypass valve; a valvein said opening to atmosphere spring pressed to closed position; meansoperable in connection with the movement of the diaphragm from its saidposition for opening the last-mentioned valve.

4. In a valve structure having a pair of chambers, one of the chambershaving an inlet for iluid under pressure and an outlet therefor, theother chamber having an opening to atmosphere: a diaphragm locatedbetween the chambers spring pressed to position closing said inlet andoutlet; a iluid bypass connecting the chambers; a normally closed valvefor the bypass; an arm movable with the diaphragm extending in thesecond-mentioned chamber and adapted to engage the bypass valve and movethe same to open position by the movement of the diaphragm towardclosing position; a valve in said opening to atmosphere spring pressedto closed position; mechanical means in the second-mentioned chamber foropening the last-mentioned valve by the movement of the diaphragm fromclosed position.

EDWARD A. SEYMOUR.

